Stratospheric influence on the mesosphere–lower thermosphere over mid latitudes in winter observed by a Fabry–Perot interferometer

Abstract

In this paper, we study the response of the mesosphere–lower thermosphere (MLT) to sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) and the activity of planetary waves (PWs). We observe the 557.7 nm optical emission to retrieve the MLT wind and temperature with the only Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) in Russia. The FPI is located at the mid latitudes of eastern Siberia within the Tory Observatory (TOR) at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISTP SB RAS, 51.8∘ N, 103.1∘ E). Regular interferometer monitoring started in December 2016. Here, we address the temporal variations in the 557.7 nm emission intensity as well as the variations in wind and temperature measured during the 2016–2020 winters. Both SSWs and PWs appear to have equally strong effects in the upper atmosphere. When the 557.7 nm emission decreases due to some influences from below (SSWs or PWs), the temperature increases significantly, as does its variability. The dispersion of zonal wind does not show significant PW- and SSW-correlated variations, but the dominant MLT zonal wind reverses during major SSW events simultaneously with the averaged zonal wind at 60∘ N in the stratosphere.